The Empty Seat
by KenSan1990
Summary: Oneshot. Kaoru was the new waitress and had never met the frequent customer. Learning his story, she does something to cheer him up. slight KK.


A/N: This is a little one shot idea I got watching a commercial. If there are any writers out that who know what I go through it's that anything...ANYTHING! Can give you some kind of idea. It's just an oneshot, not a long chapter story to worry about, unless I ca make it out as one.

**The Empty Seat**

The smell of freshly mopped floor wafted through the small diner like an air freshener. They must have been only a half an hour from closing if not sooner when their little bell rang causing quite the stir amongst the workers. All of them saw the drowned rats they would call their guests where the rain hounded down. He shook some of the droplets off of his shoulders where they had collected and his little counter-part follow like a shadow.

All the servers pushed one another to go to their guest who removed his hood as well as his shadow did. They stared at one another as they latched hands one again and stepped over the floor, the small child skipping to not step on any of the black tiles and only on the grayish-white.

One waitress, more or less the cleaner of the staff, began laughing. She was new and she didn't know what she was getting herself into when she did.

She turned to the buzz among her fellow employees to be pushed to the back with their whispers hushed. She was shoved under the counter by he cashier who looked no older than sixteen and acted no older then seven.

"Now, Kao-chan. Go for him. This will be your first serving opportunity." She said like it was a dangerous quest. Kao-chan, or Kaoru, looked at her friend Misao like she was crazy. Popping up only to be shoved back down by another one of her friends who looked at Misao like she wanted a death wish.

Omasu, the worker that had shoved her down, looked at her only shaking her head and mouthing ' no.' Kaoru looked around at the other girls and guys who all glanced at one another. Some had the look of ' go ahead ' the others having the look of ' don't take the risk. '

Kaoru drew herself up to look at the two looking at the menus and talking to one another very hushed. The little boy had his coat hung on the back of his chair haphazard unlike the elder who Kaoru supposed was the boy's father. The older one looked young, but it was obvious his face was worn from something. Maybe it was the parenthood. Kaoru had heard that it had its way on people. He had this bright hair that was like someone had dumped blood over it. His face was flushed from the rain but she could tell that he had a much darker skin tone. His long fiery hair was tied back in a pony-tail that revealed a cross-shaped scar on his cheek. The little boy was just like his father. He had these large eyes and the crimson tresses, only slightly darker than his fathers.

Kaoru ducked back down leaning on the counter while her friends debated among one another.

"No, she can't." One said.

More experienced. Especially with this one." Another said.

While they debated, they were hushed by the sound of:

"Waitress!"

His voice was a little rough, but it had a touch of caring deep within it.

Kaoru stood fully and on the way she rolled up her sleeves and took out her pad like it was an old western movie. If only the music had that touch to it rather than soft ballad that was pouring from it. Kaoru looked at this man and his son like they were the enemy and every customer was. Kaoru had learned that from her friends. She looked at the floor in front of her and saw a dust ball roll across; she needed an earlier shift.

When she approached the man, the little boy, no older than six, looked up to her with this cute little smile and sat with his knees in the chair.

"Hi Lady!" he announced with one of his hands up. Kaoru decided that he wanted to shake hands. She took it, enveloping the boys hand completely and shaking it and almost him. The boy worked his hand out of hers and looked at his father as he said: "I'm Kenji! Who are you Lady?"

Kenji-chan." His father coaxed him. The young boy settled, slumping in his seat and looking at his father.

"Sorry, Papa."

Kaoru saw how the father didn't seem to look like he enjoyed what his son was doing. But it wasn't the outburst. All parents went through that stage with children. Rather yet, it was the fact that Kaoru was a woman that he seemed displeased.

"Your order sir?" Kaoru asked. He didn't even look in her eyes when he ordered. But he did look at her like he had never seen her before. He smile slightly, and she saw the look of mourn that was stuck in his eyes even with that smile. She took Kenji's order and stepped back handing it over to Omasu who was prepared to take it. She continued to watch them like it was a play. Like it was so interesting to watch, even though it wasn't. She smiled, but then she saw something was awkward.

They sat at a table that was near a window, but people always did that. The table they were at had three chairs to it. There were plenty of two seated tables, yet chose that one. It was ' conveniently ' near the entrance or an exit. It was just...there.

Omasu took them their food and Kaoru watched the father be pulled from his trance and thank Omasu quietly. Omasu turned and came over to Kaoru as they both watched the two. The father seemed to go back into the trance as he at. He answered his son's questions, but he didn't have much more than mourn to him.

"That's Himura-san." Kaoru glanced over to Omasu who began to speak. "You'll find he's a pretty frequent customer. He's a typical easy pleaser. Give him his food and the check. He won't bother a fly. Well, that was how it use to be."

She laughed slightly. "Himura Kenshin was very pleasant last summer. And he came at least every other week with his family," Omasu said. Kaoru raised a brow.

"Family?"

"Umhmm. He had a wife and then little Kenji. He likes to play matchmaker," she laughed, "Ah, he's the sweetest boy too." Kaoru nodded.

"I see his ring, but where is his wife?" Kaoru asked starting to clean the counter after Kenshin had looked at her for looking at him.

"Miss Tomoe isn't much in living world any more." Omasu nodded and walked over to Kenshin to ask him if he was pleased. The red-head nodded and smiled to let her walk off them turned back to the window watching the rain as it sprayed across the window. Kenji tried talking to his father, but now it was getting even more complicated for him to speak to his father. Kenshin was acting like he didn't want to hear his son.

"Tomoe was his wife?" Kaoru asked following Omasu. The girl nodded beginning to wash the dishes. Kaoru took the liberty of drying for her friend.

"Yeah. Miss Tomoe was the life of the party. Very pretty. Long black hair. Light skin. She was what you wanted in a beauty pageant contestant," Omasu closed her eyes handing Kaoru a plate, "but, she died this summer. In a car accident at the beach with them. Kenshin was driving. "Kaoru nodded.

"That scar," Omasu said again, "that's kinda a reminder to him about Tomoe. He thinks he did it. They were cut off though and it hit the passenger side. Kenji was safe in his car seat and the glass hit Kenshin in the face. Tomoe died on impact." Omasu stopped with her story.

"Is that where Tomoe sat?" Kaoru question. "It's a strange place for him to sit."

"Yes. Don't even dare touch that seat if he's around either. One woman did think that he was a bachelor and the kid was a way to draw women near. He did what he did to you. Played matchmaker, but Himura-san didn't like it. He was still wounded that day. It was fresher in his mind. She was about to sit and then he lashed out. Started yelling at her. Calling her names, he was mad. Didn't want anyone to take Tomoe's place. The woman was so scared that she ran out. Luckily she didn't press charges."

Omasu decided to finish and walked away. Kaoru understood now. His depression. He blamed himself. Her father did when his mother died in the home invasion. She slumped her shoulders.

"Miss Omasu?" Kaoru asked. Omasu turned to look at her.

"Yes?"

"Is there a certain song that they would play on the jukebox?" Omasu tapped her chin in thought.

"Yeah, I think. It was 'Far Away'. Tomoe played it every time." Kaoru nodded and looked at the jukebox in the corner of the diner taking out a quarter and going to it. She slipped it in and searched for the song pressing in the keys. It would have a little time to come on.

Turning and seeing that he was almost finished, Omasu was prepared to take the bill out but Kaoru snatched it up and came over with a very wide smile as she set it down.

"Was it to your liking, sir?" Kaoru asked. Her hand laced the chair and she knew Kenshin saw.

"Yes Miss...Kaoru?" he asked reading her nametag. Kaoru nodded.

As she began to walk away she heard a whisper from the boy and then, "Miss?"

Swinging around to Kenshin she saw him stand. A shiver rose in her spine as he came closer. What Omasu had told her was scaring her pretty badly. Would he lash out if she knew? Would he lash out for touching the chair? She stood there and waited as they were millimeters away. "Thank you Miss Kaoru."

"Thankie Miss Kaou!" Kenji exclaimed jumping from his seat. He brushed past her real lightly; cologne was dabbled on his neck apparently. The song had made its way to the chorus and she saw Kenji mouthing the words and swaying as Kenshin paid for the meal.

He came back over, as she was in front of the door and smiled. "Miss Kaoru. Please. Take this."

He shook hands with her and then started for the door. Opening her hand she saw a few coins slip from the piece of paper as well two dollars inside. Well above the fifteen percent of whatever his meal was. She turned back to see him in his car just sitting and talking to Kenji. The color was on his face. She turned back to the note and opened it up.

_Dear waitress Kaoru,_

_Brave you must be. Thank you for the thought. I can't wait to come back. _

_Kenshin_

She looked back up and he was gone.

A/N: Just a little something that popped into my head it's weird, but enjoy. KenSan out!


End file.
